LOS ANGELES (OC).–French President Emmanuel Macron threatened President Donald Trump with the EU’s “trade baziooka,” a draconic economic measure designed to stop unfair trade practices with countries like China. Macron responded to Trump’s warning that he would slap at least eight EU countries with 10% additional tarrifs for opposing Trump’s attempt to buy or, in the worst case scenario, to take over Greeland. Traump likes the idea of adding 836,000 square miles of territory to the U.S., exceeding the Alaskan wilderness by by over 200,000 square miles. Trump was told by Demark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederriksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen that Greenland is not for sale but the dodn’t want to be part of the United States. Demark has a limited budget, spending about $500-$700 million yeaer in the way of a block grant to Greenland yearly.
Under U.S. control, Trump would infuse the Greenland economy with billions of dollars in investment capital to expand Greenland’s tourism industry, creating more jobs and prosperity to the Arctic island, home to about 57,000 population of mostly Arctic native AKA Inuit tribes. Macron acts like a U.S. takeover would be like tyrannical communist rule, when, in fact, Greenland would benefits greatly from U.S. ownership. When you consider the amount of cash Demark would make from a sale, it would make Demark a rich country for generations. Spending $500 to $700 million a year drains the Denmark budget causing hardship to balance the budget. How Macron can talk about a nuclear option or “trade bazooka” against the U.S. is preposterous. Trading about $2 trillion a year with the U.S., Macron’s “trade bazooka” would sink the EU very quickly.
Trump wants EU countries like France to back his plan to buy Greenland, knowing the EU puts nothing into the Arctic territory. How ironic that Macron fears a Russian territory of European territory if he settles the Ukraine War but doesn’t consider the extreme vulnerability of Greenland to a Russian or Chinese takeover, whether or not it’s in their planning. Macron feels so strongly about Russia he won’t let Zelensky settle the four-year old war, preferring to waste more EU cash on a war that can’t be won by Ukraine. Macron should be backing a U.S. takeover of Greenland because it would provide political stability in the Arctic region, something dominated today by Russia with China not far behind. Macron wants to show his constituents he can stand up to Trump when, in fact, Macron has no clout to bring about an end to the four-year-old Ukraine War.
Macron has met for months with Zelensky fashioning a post-war security arrangement when he has no way of ending the war other that letting Trump negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. All of Macron’s machinations with his EU colleagues have resulted in a deal breaker trying to install NATO troops in Ukraine. Putin told Zelensky and the EU that placting NATO troops in Ukraine would give Putin the green light to take over parts of Europe. Why would Macron not think that Greenland faces the same problem. Seems like Macron has some kind of vendetta with Trump who could have ended the Ukraine War months ago. What is Macron thinking to give Zelensky billions of euros to fund an endless war with the Kremlin that Ukraine cannot win? Zelensky wants to protect Denmark and Greenland, only because they oppose Trump’s secession play for Greenland.
Macron knows that with $2 trillion in trade with the United States annually, Brussels can ill-afford a trade war with the U.S. let alone his “trade bazooka” which would invite Trump to retalizate against the EU. How would the French cosmetic or wine industry like to loose the U.S. market? Brussels knows that the “trade bazooka” is not about Trump wanting to buy Greenland from Denmark. Why would anyone in the EU oppose giving Greenland a better opportunity for the future under U.S. democratic control? Macron and his EU friends should encourage Denmark to sell Greenland to the U.S., regardless of current objections from Denmark and Greenland. Demmark and Greenland say the want to keep the current arrangement when it provodes no economic opportunity or adequate defense. If Russia moved on Europe, Brussels would beg the U.S. fore help.
Brussels does very little trade with Demark compared with the United States. Whey would anyone in the EU oppose Trump’s attempt to offer Denmark fari market vaule for Greenland. It does nothing now but drain Denmak’s budget. Why no pass the problems on to the U.S. so the U.S. Treasury can take over paying for Greenland’s economy and defense? There simply no real that Macron should threaten Trump with a “trade bazooka” when it doesn’t apply to the current situation of Trump seeking to buy Greenland for fair market value. Greenland does nothing for the EU but would serve the purpose of stabilizing world peace by giving the U.S. a stronger presence in the Artic region. U.S. has over 150 years of experience dealing with Arctic native populations in Alaska. Trump would respect native concerns and provide much needed economic opportunity and defense to Greenland.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
